Resurrection of Power
by NoctisLucisXV
Summary: Link awakens one night from a nightmare that leaves him shaking in his boots. To clear his head, he goes to see an old friend, where a surprise reunion sets in motion a chain of events that will leave Hyrule as it has never been before. Post-TP, Slight AU Rated M for possible content and guaranteed violence.
1. Old Friends in the Night

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT, NOR HAVE I EVER CLAIMED TO, OWN THE _LEGEND OF ZELDA_ SERIES, MUCH TO MY DISMAY.**

 **Hey, everyone. First off, thanks for reading this. I hope it turns out alright, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Second, this is kind of a spinoff epilogue to Twilight Princess. Ninety percent of this is non-canon, so please review. Thanks.**

Link

 _A flash of light, the ringing of steel against hard leather, searing pain racing up his right arm as the cut oozed more blood by the second. He could barely bring his sword up to block the next blow. The man clothed in shadow approached slowly, raising his sword to finish the fight. His laugh, deep and gravelly, pierced the air. His sword was up and raced downward-_

Link shot up with a yell. Before he realized what was happening, his knife was drawn and raised. He felt Zelda moving next to him, but still jumped when she touched his arm.

"Link," she said, "sweetie are you alright?" She looked scared. Link saw the terror in her eyes and could only imagine what she was thinking. That he might attack her. He hated it when she looked like that. Especially when it was directed towards him.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm fine now."

"Are you sure? What was it?"

"Just a nightmare," he responded. "Don't worry about it." He smiled to show her that he was alright. Zelda, her worrying put aside for now, lied back down and eventually fell asleep.

Link, however, couldn't get rid of the mental image that was seared into his mind's eye. The man cloaked in darkness with a blade of pure starlight. Link was the greatest warrior in Hyrule, but in his dream this man bested him without so much as breaking a sweat.

Link got out of bed, careful not to disturb his wife again, and wandered the castle in which they resided. He couldn't help but remember his first time seeing the castle.

 _He was riding Epona._ _After spending days in the dense forest that was Faron Woods, Link was eager to finally leave_ _the southern provinces. His home overrun with monsters, he was only able to escape into the woods because of Epona. As far as he knew, no one else survived._

 _Epona rounded the last bend, pulling them both out of the thick trees and exposing them to full sunlight- the first of such they'd seen in days_. _Before them lay Hyrule Field, or at least a portion of it._ _Link could see that it branched off to the east and west_ _, but his view was drawn heavily to the grand structure before him._

 _Hyrule Castle. A magnificent structure composed mostly of large white walls and grand purple spires. A large town had grown at the base of the castle. Link was astounded by the shear size and beauty of it all, and even Epona took a second to pause and admire it. Then she started down the hill upon which they were and onto Hyrule Field._

Link continued to wander the castle. By now he had reached the kitchen area and had filled a cup with water to help soothe his nerves. He realized that it had been almost a week since he'd last seen Epona in the stables.

 _I'm too awake to go back to bed_ , he reasoned. _May as well go see her._

The castle stables were on the other side of the grounds. The cool, crisp night air helped Link to forget his nightmare. By the time he reached the stables, Link had all but forgotten the dream. He went inside the stables.

As always, the first thing he noticed was the smell: fresh straw and oats. No matter how pampered he was in the castle, Link always loved that smell. It reminded him of home. Before the attacks began. _No_ , he thought, _don't think about it._

Epona's stall was at the end of the stable. Link made his way down, whistling her song all the while. By the time he got to her stall, Epona was awake and ready to go. She huffed when he got close.

"Hey girl," Link said. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" He stroked her muzzle affectionately.

"Yes it has, Link," another voice said quietly. A low, smooth voice, with a hint of a mischievous attitude. A voice Link hadn't heard in over seven years.

He turned suddenly, coming face-to-face with Midna, the Twilight Princess herself.

She looked exactly as Link remembered her. Her pale blue skin, contrasted sharply by her bright orange hair- braided and tied below her chin- and deep red eyes. Her cloak and skirt (if it could be called that, as incomplete as it was) flowed freely from her shoulders and waist, respectively. Her chest was covered in a dark black marking of some kind that matched her cloak, always making Link wonder if the mark was actually part of it or if she were naked. Her crimson eyes still held a glint that would make Link nervous every time he saw it.

Midna was leaning against a post along the outer edge of the stable. At this time of night, Link could barely make out her form, but her eyes shone brightly in the dark. Epona nudged Link gently from behind, pushing him closer toward Midna. She giggled at the sight.

"I'm glad Epona's looking well," she said. "She's getting up there in age, isn't she?"

Epona huffed again, sounding slightly annoyed. Link was still getting over the shock of seeing Midna, and was not prepared for the question.

"Ah-bah-yeh-ye-yeah," he stammered. "Yeah, she is." He looked at Epona apologetically before turning back to Midna. "Midna," he began, "What are you doing here?"

"She's here," said another voice- one Link knew all too well- "because I asked her to be here."

Link spun around to find Zelda walking along the stalls, still in her nightgown, with a mixed look on her face. Link, quite confused, looked back and forth between the two princesses. He looked at Epona, who seemed to shrug, as if saying _What do I know? I'm just the horse_ , before moving back into her stall and leaving Link to deal with them in his own.

 **So there we have it. Hope you enjoyed it. please review (guys I cannot stress this enough, PLEASE REVIEW), and if you have any questions you would like to ask privately, please don't hesitate to PM me. I'll get back to you as soon as physically possible. BT-dubs, thanks for the help Epona. Way to leave Link hanging. ;)**


	2. Vision of Doom

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT, NOR HAVE I EVER CLAIMED TO, OWN _THE LEGEND OF ZELDA_** **, MUCH TO MY DISMAY.**

 **I understand that it can be difficult to keep up with perspective changes in stories, but I felt that I just couldn't do this without showing it from everyone's point of view. I will, however, keep it to one perspective per chapter. Thanks for understanding, guys.**

Zelda

Zelda walked slowly down the aisle of the stable. Link was looking back and forth between herself and Midna, confusion evident on his face. He looked at Epona, who retreated back into stall. _Smart horse_ , she thought.

Zelda glanced over at Midna. The Twili stood tall, at least a head over Zelda herself. Despite the lack of coverings, Midna carried herself with a regal standing only one of royal blood would be able to pick out. Zelda could see the mischievous glint in her eye, the very same glint that was there when they first met.

 _BOOM. The great doors shook again on their hinges. Her guards rushed around, bracing the door with whatever they could find in the throne room. Zelda drew the sword at her side. The hand-and-a-half hilt fit comfortably in her hand._ _The meter-long blade curved along the length of the weapon. She had trained with this sword since she was fifteen, and had acquired quite a degree of skill with it._

 _BOOM. Another hit rattled the doors, more vigorously this time._ _Her guards gave up bracing it, and formed up around her._ _With a mighty crash, the doors were blown off their hinges and sent flying through the room._ _Standing where they had been was a man clothed in a wide robe. He wore a helmet hiding his features. He raised an arm, covered by the cloak he wore, and pointed at_ _Zelda._

 _"Surrender, princess," he said. His voice was deep and smooth. "Surrender now, and I_ won't _tear down this castle brick by brick."_

 _"Over my dead body!" the captain of her guard yelled. He charged at the stranger, who had begun to laugh._

 _"That can be arranged," he said. He reached for the charging captain and threw his hands upward. The captain was sent into the air. The stranger brought his hands down hard, making the captain slam into the stone floor. Zelda knew immediately he was dead. Turning again to her, the stranger said, "Surrender, princess. Do not test my patience."_

 _Zelda looked at her captain, then to her men. She lowered her head and dropped her sword. The stranger laughed and stretched his hands towards the group surrounding Zelda. All of her men fell to the ground, dead. He reached towards Zelda. She blacked out._

 _When she came to, she was in her bedchamber. It was raining outside her window. She walked to the door and tried to open it. Locked._

 _"It's not going to be_ that _easy," said a small voice. Zelda turned and saw a small creature reclining on her bed. No,_ above _her bed. The creature- an imp, Zelda realized- floated half a foot over her bed._ _It was obviously female and had a large stone mask covering part of her face. Zelda could see that she had flaming orange hair pinned together by a barrette near the end of it._

 _"Who are you?" Zelda asked. "What do you want?"_

 _The imp laughed. "I'm really no one of importance and what I want is none of your business," she said._ _"But you might just be able to help me, anyway."_

That had been nigh on eight years ago. When Midna left Hyrule only a year later, destroying the Mirror of Twilight in the process, Zelda feared that she had lost a valuable friend and ally.

But three days ago Link's nightmares began. That same day, as she was conducting her daily prayers, she received a vision from the Goddesses. She saw Link standing in Hyrule Field, a wall of Twilight separating him from her. In front of him was Ganondorf.

 _The Gerudo King looked exactly as Zelda remembered him: he was a full head and shoulders taller than Link, with bright orange hair and deep red eyes. He was covered in armour and wore a cloak that was red as blood. In his hands he held a sword as white as bone, but the blade seemed to glow with power. As she watched, the battle was conducted just as she remembered, and she smiled when Link drove the Master Sword into his chest. Her vision skipped ahead._

 _Walking back to Hyrule Castle, something made Zelda turn around. She looked back towards Ganondorf's body. He still stood where he was, but even from her perch some many meters away she could see a piercing light coming from his hand. Time froze. She saw Ganondorf reach down and recover his sword. He looked at Zelda and began to laugh. His deep, booming laugh seemed to be coming from all around her. When she looked around, she could see nothing. Link was no longer by her side. She looked back down the hill, only to find Ganondorf right in front of her. He grabbed her by the throat._

 _"Don't think," he said in his gravelly voice, "that I've been beaten. That runt of a hero gave me a hard fight, yes. I underestimated him. But he also underestimated_ me _. I will be back. Very soon. And I doubt that even you and your pathetic 'hero' would be able to defeat me." With that he released her, causing her to fall to the ground. Standing above her, he raised his sword for the kill. "It has been a pleasure, 'Your Highness.'"_

 _He drove the blade, only for it to be knocked to the side by Zelda's magic._

 _"Ganondorf Dragmire," she said, invoking his name as no other had, "you were banished from the realm of light to the land of Twilight. You were slain by the light of the Master Sword. The Goddesses above will not allow you to escape judgement a third time." She was standing now. As she spoke, she began to weave a spell to cast Ganon away. "Now return to whatever abyss you came from, or you_ will _be destroyed!" She cast her spell, throwing an orb of light at him. The spell passed through him as if he were not there, but his image dissolved, as did the rest of the vision._

 _As Zelda awoke from whatever trance she was in, she heard two voices. One was the pleasant, dainty voice of Hylia, giving her strength and encouragement. The other was the deep, gravelly voice of Ganondorf, which said, "Bring it on, Princess."_

When Link had his first nightmare, Zelda suspected. Her suspicions were confirmed the following night when he suffered from another one. Now this one. As she walked down the line of stalls, Zelda couldn't help but feel a rush of rage towards Ganondorf.

"You what?" Link asked.

"I asked her to come to the stables," Zelda replied. "Didn't you hear me?"

Midna laughed and stepped forward into the torchlight, letting her friends see her clearly for the first time that night. Link gasped. Zelda wasn't surprised.

When last they had seen her, Midna's true form was flawless. Now, they could see pale, silvery scars crisscrossing her chest and face. Her cloak was tattered, and she was missing a finger on her left hand.

"Midna, what happened to you?" Link asked.

Midna laughed again. "You should see the other guy," she said. Zelda couldn't help but notice that she avoided the question. And how her eyes seemed to flare with pain.

"Link," she said, "sweetheart, Midna has need for the both of us. After your nightmares, I figured it would only be a matter of time before you came to the stables. I sent Midna here to catch you."

"'Sent' is such a strong word, Zelda," Midna said. "I'd've gone with 'asked her to go.'"

Zelda smiled. _Always the jokester_ , she thought. "If it must be so," she said.

Link, recovering from his surprise, quickly jumped in. "What's wrong, Midna?" he asked.

Her face darkened. She paused a moment before speaking. "Things are bad in Twilight," she said. "Real bad. I went looking through some of our ancient texts, looking for something that might help us. I found an ancient book of prophecies. I thought, _Great. This could tell us how it'll end up_. Flipping through, I found one in particular. It caught my eye with just one word: Hyrule."

Zelda started. As far as she knew, the Twili didn't know anything about Hyrule before Zant. How could they have had a prophecy about it?

Midna continued. "The prophecy spoke of a usurper. One who had the throne, but no claim to it. It said he couldn't be defeated by anyone born of Twilight. I knew the prophecy spoke of Zant. Link was the one to beat him. But the prophecy continued. It said _Shadow shall burn, Evil be slain/ But the One will return, to take Power again._ Somewhere further down or said that only a child of Wisdom and a child of Courage working together could destroy him. Permanently."

Zelda felt sick to her stomach. This prophecy armed to match up with her vision all too well. "Ganondorf," she muttered. Midna nodded.

"I believe so," she said. "Ganondorf took the shape of a burning shadow when he defeated me. Link defeated him at Hyrule Field, slaying evil. I believe Ganondorf will return."

Zelda looked to Link. He seemed far off, as if thinking.Link was the only one strong enough to beat Ganon's power. She couldn't imagine how he must be feeling.

Zelda heard a squeak and turned around. She saw one of the stable boys coming through the gate she had closed earlier. _What time is it?_ she wondered. "Perhaps," she said, "we should take this elsewhere. Link, is the Royal Guard patrolling the throne room?" She knew the answer, of course, but his distant look was starting to disturb her.

Sure enough, his eyes hardened in concentration as he went through the Guard patrol map in his mind. "Yes," he said, "but they can be relocated outside the door if need be."

"Well it just so happens that need be," Midna said lightheartedly. "The throne room it is."

With that, she raised her arms and opened a Portal above them. She grabbed both of their shoulders and the three of them dissolved into shadow. The last thing Zelda felt was a shocking cold feeling run up her spine as she was drawn up into the Portal.


	3. Midna's Woes

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT, NOR HAVE I EVER CLAIMED TO, OWN THE _LEGEND OF ZELDA_ , MUCH TO MY DISMAY.**

 **Greetings readers. Now we get to see from Midna's perspective. I apologize ahead of time for slight language use, but this is rated M for a reason. Enjoy. :)**

Midna

The throne room was, to Midna's mind, much too large and empty to be efficient. It was, however, the only place in the castle where the three of them could speak openly. Anywhere else was occupied by either guards that could spread drunken rumors or staff that _would_ spread rumors. Either way, they all agreed that a mass panic was the last thing they needed.

She remembered the last time she'd been in here, just before Link fought Ganondorf.

 _Walking through the great doorway, Midna wasn't surprised that she could see even the throne room was spared from the destruction that befell the rest of Hyrule Castle. The once-ornate hall was in ruins. Pillars had fallen, the stained glass pictures of the Golden Goddesses had been shattered, and the grand statue of the Goddesses presenting the Triforce was in pieces around the throne. The throne that was now occupied._

 _"Welcome to my castle," Ganondorf said._

 _Midna floated forward slightly. "So you're... Ganondorf," she said. "I've been_ dying _to meet you."_

The battle that ensued would end up claiming Midna's life, albeit briefly. She had no idea of what happened between her death and rebirth.

The throne room now, however, was back to how it had been before Zant attacked. Every pillar had been re-erected, the stained glass Goddesses had been replaced. The only difference was above the throne, where the Triforce was once located. Zelda must've had it taken out. In is place now was a monument to the Six Sages and the Mirror Chamber.

"No accounting for taste," Midna mumbled.

"What was that?" Zelda asked.

"I said I hate this place. I _died_ here, remember?"

"I didn't hear any arguments as to where we should meet," Link replied.

"Fuck you, Link," she growled. "This is the only open area in the castle." As much as she hated it, this was true. The Royal Guard patrolled almost every room in the castle, except the guest and royal bedchambers. But Midna wasn't about to go teleporting into Link and Zelda's bedroom. No telling what might be in there...

"Midna," Zelda said, "that's not necessary." She turned to Link, and said sternly, "Shut up, Link."

Midna giggled quietly before Zelda glared at her. "Midna," she said, "what's happened in Twilight?"

That sobered Midna up quickly. She shuddered as she remembered the landscape of Twilight, once beautiful and peaceful, torn asunder with bodies lying everywh-

 _No._ She thought. _Not now._

But these were her nearest and dearest friends. If she couldn't tell them about it, she couldn't tell anyone.

"Midna?"

"The Twilight War," she said suddenly. Zelda gasped, and Link stepped back in surprise. "The Twilight War happened."

She began to tell the story. As she spoke, Zelda and Link remained silent. With every passing second, she had memories of the bloodshed and carnage that now covered her once-beautiful land. By the time she finished, dawn had come. Her companions were silent for some time.

"By the Goddesses," Zelda said finally. "Midna, why didn't you contact us sooner?"

"Because I didn't know how?" Midna asked. "Even if I did, the Twilight War isn't your problem. Ganondorf is."

"Yeah, but-" Link started to say.

"No," Midna cut him off. She wouldn't endanger them any more than was necessary. If the Hylians tried to fight, they would be eradicated. Or worse. "Ganondorf comes first. Then _I'll_ worry about Twilight."

She walked over to the throne, not allowing a response from either of them.

"Now," she said, "What's the plan on the Ganondorf issue?" She looked at Zelda, knowing that she'd been forming ideas from the get-go. "Well?"

Zelda was silent for a moment before finally saying, "We need to check his body first."

"You still have it?" Midna asked incredulously.

"Of course not," Zelda said. "But I know where it is buried."

"Where?"

Link answered, "In the Kakariko Graveyard."

Midna grunted. "I'd've put him under a pigsty, but that's just me."

"I know he was evil," Link said, "but he was a worthy and powerful opponent. I couldn't rest easy knowing I defiled him in that manner."

"Link, he would've defiled you in _worse_ manners," Midna said. "He doesn't deserve it."

"Well he's not in the Royal Tomb or anything," Link countered. "His tomb isn't easy to get to, anyway. Zelda had him buried in an alcove in one of the other graves."

"Which one?"

Zelda answered, "With Sharp and Flat, the Royal Composers. Their spirits have always been restless, and they have history with Link. They're the first line of defense for the body."

"Only the first?" Midna asked. "There are others?"

"Ganondorf may be dead," Link said, "but we're not stupid. His body is protected by heavy magic. Sharp and Flat just scare people away."

Midna was impressed. They really had thought of everything, hadn't they? Then why couldn't she shake the feeling that something _really_ bad was about to happen?

Putting aside her apprehension, Midna said, "Then Kakariko Village it is. I'll whip up a quick portal, and-"

"No," Link said. "No portal."

"Why not?" Midna questioned. "A portal would be the fastest way."

"Maybe the fastest," Zelda said, "but also the most noticeable. Our citizens won't take too kindly to knowing that the Twili have access to Hyrule again. We'll go on foot. I'll take Epona."

Link looked at Zelda, obviously startled. "And who will I take?" he asked.

Zelda grinned. "You," she replied, "will take Midna."

 **Good story so far, right? Now, I have a bone to pick with some of y'all. I can see that you guys are favoriting and following this, but I'm getting little-to-no reviews. Guys, constructive criticism is an author's best friend. If I'm not aware of issues in my story, I can't fix them.**

 **That being said, I received a guest review asking why I wrote Midna as scarred and wounded. I promise it _is_ to a purpose. I have plans for Midna. Big plans. I'm sorry for it, but she was a necessary sacrifice. I didn't want to do it, but it had to be done.**


	4. Kakariko Graveyard

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT, NOR HAVE I EVER CLAIMED TO, OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, MUCH TO MY DISMAY.**

Link

"I'll do what?"

"You'll take Midna," Zelda said. "Or rather, she'll take you." Looking to Midna, she asked, "Did you bring it?"

"Of course I brought it," Midna said.

"Brought what?" Link asked.

Midna giggled. "Brought this."

She reached into her cloak and pulled something out of an inside pocket. Before Link could see what it was, she flung it towards him, aiming high. He had no chance to react before he felt a sharp pain in his forehead, followed by an excruciating feeling throughout his whole body - one he hadn't felt in years.

His limbs shortened. His face elongated. He dropped onto all fours in pain, but found that his feet stayed on the ground the whole time. Opening his eyes, he noticed his eyesight sharpening and his sense of smell increasing tenfold. His nails grew into claws, and his teeth grew and sharpened into fangs. Finally, the pain ceased, leaving Link in his not-so-new form as a wolf.

"There we go," Midna said cheerfully. "Shadow crystal. The same one Zant used on you at Lake Hylia. I figured it could come in handy one day. And it has. Although you do seem to be getting a little gray around the muzzle."

Link snarled, ready to pounce onto the Twilight Princess and tear her throat out. Midna's eyes flashed, telling him that her rough and playful nature was still there, buried under a regal air. If he charged, she'd give him quite a run for his money.

"Link!" Zelda yelled. "That's enough!"

Link stopped his verbal onslaught, but continued to glare at Midna.

"Don't look at me like that," she said. "It was all Zelda's idea."

Flicking his glare to his wife, Link received a glare in turn.

"Now is not the time to be assigning blame," Zelda said. "We must be getting to Kakariko as fast and soon as possible."

Link whimpered, protesting his forced role in this whole affair.

Midna laughed and grabbed the barrette holding her hair together, pulling it from her hair. As her hair sprang free, it began to shorten. Link watched in wonder as the strands grouped together into finger-like collections.

Meanwhile, her body had begun to shrink; her arms and legs growing smaller and more petite. Her ears grew larger, revealing an injury Link hadn't noticed earlier. Before long, she had reverted back to the imp form Link had gotten to know her by, albeit still severely injured. She jumped onto his back.

"Shall we be off?" she asked, her voice higher and more childlike.

Zelda smiled. "We shall."

 _Some hours later_

Link was glad to see Zelda remembered her riding lessons. Upon Epona's back, she had perfect form and showed great restraint concerning speed. Epona was, by far, the fastest horse in Hyrule. But galloping too fast could possibly cause her to injure herself and her rider. Link was more than able to match Epona's speed as it was now.

Midna had opted to travel in Link's shadow until they were out of Castle Town, for fear of causing a panic. It would be hard enough explaining why Her Highness Princess Zelda burst through the gates of Hyrule Castle on the back of her husband's prize horse, she reasoned. It would be harder still to explain a wolf and a Twili imp following close on her tail.

What they finally agreed on was to have Zelda escorted by Link and the Royal Guard to the front gate. She and Link would then set off together towards Kakariko Village, she riding Epona, he sprinting on all fours.

Their plan was executed flawlessly, although Link was certain that rumors of his newfound transformative ability would soon spread like wildfire. They were currently well on their way to the graveyard, sure to make it before nightfall. Link's heightened senses told him that another few hours would see them to their destination.

Link still felt quite resentful about his role. It took him many months to break the habits he had formed during his time with Midna: licking his chops, sniffing his food before eating it, even throwing himself at sparring partners in the arena. He just knew that those old habits would return with the return of his bestial form.

He felt a sharp pain in his leg. _Damn,_ he thought. _The fleas are back, too._ He ignored the pain for now, focusing instead on the landscape rushing by and on his beautiful wife riding Epona. He slowed his step ever so slightly so as to ride beside her.

They ran like this for many hours, only stopping once so Epona could rest, and reached Kakariko just after the sun set.

Kakariko Village was always a small town. Despite its perpetual fame, no one had ever really vouched to move to Kakariko. Because of this, its citizens led very happy, peaceful lives.

Behind Kakariko Village proper was Kakariko Graveyard. Although few voiced belief, rumors of hauntings and disturbances often deterred potential residence from settling down in this quiet town. The graveyard's tales, however, were, more often than not, quite true.

Riding into the village, Zelda halted Epona and dismounted, motioning for Midna to do the same. After climbing from his back, Midna reached towards Link's forehead and removed the accursed shadow crystal. Immediately, Link felt a sense of pain as he returned to his natural bodily state.

He glared at his wife. "Why?" he questioned. He was not questioning the means, but rather the motive. And he knew she knew that.

"Because it was the most efficient way," she replied. "Much quicker than organizing a royal party."

Link knew she was right. Even by skipping most of the formalities, getting together a party for this journey would have taken days. The journey would've taken just as long. This was more efficient. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

As if reading his thoughts, Zelda smiled. She turned to the graveyard.

"Which one is Sharp's?" she asked.

Midna glanced over at her. "Didn't they work for _your_ family? Isn't the body of your most hated foe buried out here? Shouldn't you know this?"

It was Link's turn to smile. "It's in the back corner," he said. "Close to the Royal Tomb. This way."

"Seriously, Zelda," Midna chided, "how do you _not_ know your way around?"

"Because," Link answered, "she's grown up in Hyrule Castle. As Princess, she's not _allowed_ to come out here unescorted." He put enough venom in his voice to tell Midna not to question it any more. She took the hint.

The Composer Brothers' graves laid side-by-side, with Sharp the Elder on the left and Flat the Younger on the right. Years of abandon and wear showed on both graves, but the names were still readable. Link looked to Zelda.

"You're sure of this?"

She nodded, clearly nervous. "Summon them."

Link sighed and stepped forward between the two graves. He cried out in a loud voice, "I call upon the Brothers of Song! I call upon the Composers of the Royal Family of Hyrule! Sharp! Flat! Come now!"

For some time, nothing happened. Link took a breath to call again, but stilled when he felt a presence at his side. Instinctively, he grabbed the sword from his back and swung. He only just halted the blade before slashing the face of a portly man who had appeared next to him.

The man did not even flinch. Rather, he looked at the blade and chuckled.

"Is that to be our fate, then, Hero?" he asked. "Death beyond death for those who have born no ill will to you?"

"Obviously," said a voice behind Link, "we had to have done something to anger the legendary 'Hero of Twilight.'"

Link spun around to find another man, slightly taller and much thinner, sitting upon a gravestone. Flat's gravestone, to be exact. Taking this into consideration, along with the dialogue of the two men, Link figured that these were the famed Composer Brothers. He turned back to the portly man before him.

"Sharp the Elder, I presume?" Sharp laughed and bowed low.

"In the flesh. Or rather the spirit, if you will."

Zelda approached the shade upon the grave. "And you are Flat the Younger?" she asked.

"That I am," Flat replied. "And you are Princess Zelda of Hyrule, lest my undead eyes deceive me?"

"I am she," Zelda replied in kind.

"Well," Midna interjected, "now that introductions are complete, we have business to attend to."

Both shades turned to her.

"Flat," said Sharp, "we have more company than we thought."

"Indeed we do, Sharp," Flat replied. "And we're not even decent enough for three."

"Shall we alleviate that situation?"

"We shall."

Both spirits vanished in a cloud of smoke, only to reappear some seconds later above their graves. Sharp's form was similar to the one he had cast off in that it was short and portly, as was Flat's tall and slim. Both spirits, however, now looked nothing like Hylians. Both of their faces were pitch black, and they were clothed in ceremonial garb that bespoke of their past lives. They each also held a lantern in one hand and a conductor's baton in the other.

"Behold us," Sharp cried, "one of shadows and Twilight."

"Behold us," followed Flat, "you of dark and powerful magic."

"Behold-"

Link stepped in. He couldn't risk them going on any more, if he didn't stop them now, they'd go on all night. "Guys, we're a little rushed. Will you allow us into the tomb of Ganondorf?"

The spirits ceased their boasts, albeit grudgingly. If they were surprised as to the reasoning behind this visit, they did not show it.

Finally, Sharp spoke. "According to your own word," he said, "we are to let none pass into that room." He lowered his voice. "Even you."

Flat spoke next. "Brother," he began, "perhaps we should allow them through."

Sharp turned to his brother quickly. Smoke drifted from his body because of the movement. "And why ever should we do that, Brother?"

"Because," Flat chimed, "if they die, we will be freed from this accursed tomb."

Sharp stopped and seemed to consider this. Sensing an opportunity, Link piped up again.

"He's right, Sharp," he said. "I know not all the traps and defenses placed on the body. There is a chance of our deaths."

Midna shot Link a look, but he waved her away. Zelda picked up on what he was doing, though, and also spoke.

"All is true," she said. "I know many of the traps, but all are difficult to avoid or disengage."

Sharp turned between them. He seemed as if he could not decide. Finally, he lowered his head. "You may enter," he said.

Link grinned slightly. He had expected more of a fight. For once, he was glad to be disappointed. Both spirits vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Suddenly, Link could feel the ground shifting and shuddering under them. A large hole opened in the ground between the headstones, sloping down into the earth. Stale air and the smell of corpses rose from the crevice. An unearthly light emanated forth. Link started forward, ready to get this over with, before Zelda grabbed him by the arm.

Her gaze was steady, but he could see the fear in her eyes plain. "I did not lie, Link," she said. "I know many of the enchantments and traps guarding this tomb. This is one of them." She looked to the star-filled sky. "The tomb becomes inaccessible at sunrise. The entrance will close, and the tomb will fill itself with earth. We must be quick."

Link nodded, showing his understanding. Glancing at Midna, who also nodded, he turned back toward the tomb. Together, the three of them strode into the crevice, and to what lay beyond.

 **Guys, I am SO SORRY for the delay in publishing. Life has not been easy for the last few months, and I made y'all suffer for it. I am SO SORRY. I will try my hardest to update more often, and will definitely keep this going.**


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